‘Know where your kids are, we don’t want to see them drunk’
Thursday 22nd July 2010, 1:00PM BST.
Police Sergeant Amanda Randall and Drug and Alcohol Strategy coordinator Andrea Nightingale say that their activity bus offers plenty of safe, healthy alternatives these school holidays. (1002423)
POLICE and the Drug and Alcohol Strategy are working towards an alcohol-free summer for under age islanders.
Andrea Nightingale, coordinator of the Drug and Alcohol Strategy, and Amanda Randall, of the neighbourhood policing team, are asking parents to make sure they know what their children are doing during the holidays.
‘The least parents can do to help us out is to make sure they know where their kids are and if they’re safe,’ said PS Randall.
‘We are concerned that the school summer holidays are approaching, and we appreciate that underage students will want to have fun and no doubt at some point want to experiment.
‘There are issues of under-age drinking on the island and we do see an increase during the summer holidays, so we are going to be robust with it.’
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Iam in complete agreement with the proposed plans and agree completley that parents should do their utmost to ascertain the whereabouts of their children whenever possible. I think that a majority of the problems caused by young people arise becase they are bored. the police have enough contentious issues to deal with daily without having to also keep control over the minority of young people who behave in a anti- social manner and through the use of mobile phones parents should be able to know and want to know where their children are underage drinking is a problem all over Britain the last thing Guernsey needs is to establish a poor reputation becuase of the minority of ill behaved individuals runing it for the majority/
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Joe…what you have written may be commendable, but it is pure cliché textbook waffle…..in the real world young people behave like young people, not how ex-young people would like them to behave.
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Vic Gamble I agree with your comment” in the real world young people behave like young people, not how ex- young people would like them to behave” i was not trying to say i am blind to the ways of young people,s behaviour i was just trying to reaffirm that it is irresponsible to allow young underage people to drink excessive alcohol limits which in turn can cause problematic behaviour and upset the public meaning the police often have to intervene.
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What amazes me is that the parents that are ‘responsible’ for their offspring that are supplying them with the alcohol to get in these states in the first place.
A comment for the GP though, as you’ve been reporting on this subject, that I haven’t seen any mention of the young lady that appeared in court this week for DIC in charge of her scooter at the age of 14 – the youngest ever I believe. (Apologies if I have missed it but have been looking). Scary thought really but it reinforces my whole belief that children of this age are not responsible enough to be in charge of a machine on the roads.
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@Karen – although I have some sympathy with your view on 14 year olds and scooters, you cannot rationally support your argument with that particular story as all you have done is interpreted it blinkered by an opinion you already hold.
You cannot judge an entire age group on the actions of one. If you applied that same thinking elsewhere, us adults would not be responsible enough to ride scooters either – after all more adults are convicted of DIC than minors.
@Vic Gamble – off topic but I enjoyed reading your letter in the GP today, I’d been thinking the same thing for a while!
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Vic G
Me too. So much so that I tended to just skim the diatribe and look for the inevitable ‘when I was in the States’ paragraph
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Paul…so we can think alike…praise the Lord!
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PLP,
Given the standard of riding of most 14 year old scooterists, the complete lack of road sense displayed together with an almost complete absence of common sense regarding the appropriate attire for motorised two wheeled conveyance, I would suggest that the vast majority of this age group are completely unsuited to the responsibility of piloting two wheeled motorised transport.
This is not to suggest that there aren’t some 14yr olds that are more responsible than some older than them(!), but they are in the minority.
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@cynic – as I said in my post I have some sympathy with Karen’s (and indeed your) position. My point was that to use the DIC conviction of one 14 year old girl as supporting evidence for this view is pretty flimsy.
@Vic…probably more times than we’d both care to admit! Hallelujah!
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I’m gonna get smashed tonite ladz, hitting the town lyk.
The police should be focussing on the older generation, such as those above the teens (20 +), they’re the ones causing the trouble.
I hope all the teens get pissed out of their heads this summer, just to piss the police off.
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Paul – I haven’t interpreted that particular story in any way that is blinkered by a personal opinion. The young girl in question had been bought her ‘alcopops’ by her mother who was well aware of the transport that she would more than likely use to get to and from the party that she went to. Very sad but true.
My point is that I don’t believe that at 14 a lot of these ‘kids’ are responsible enough to be on the roads in charge of a machine that can cause them and others significant damage. I think that I see at least one incident the roads every day that reinforces this in my mind. Cynic – I completely agree with you. I’m sure there are some out there who are very conscientious riders but they seem to be few and far between.
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Cynic,
Are you saying that a mini skirt and a boob tube are not endorsed by the health and safery exec.
What is the world comming to.
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Slightly off topic to the heading but I strongly feel that 14 is way too young to hold a licence for a 50cc scooter. In my young teenage years in Guernsey there wasn’t one person I knew of who managed to avoid an accident of some description whilst on his/her’s scooter.
With Guernsey having more motorised vechicles then ever accidents will continue and possibly increase. So let’s see action speak louder then words and have the age limit of a licence for a 50cc scooter risen to 16.
Back on topic, kids will always be kids. You can tell them what they want but they are never going to learn without self-experience. Preaching to them about the do’s and don’ts is only going to provide guidance. What kids need to respect and understand is that they are privledged to live on the island, surrounded by sea where hobbies and sport’s are plentiful.
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Totally agree with you Terry. Push the scooter age up to 16, push the driving age up to 18 and restrict 16 to 18 y olds to 50cc machines. This will go a little way to curbing the ‘kev’ menace on our roads today.
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Apologies Terry for wandering off the subject a little.
Completely agree that kids should be allowed to live and learn through experience but this should be under at least enough supervision from parents that they know where they are and at least have an idea of what they are up to. Too many parents seem to turn a blind eye when it comes to alcohol and dismiss it almost as a right of passage.
There are many many things that young people can get involved in, with a little effort on their part, without having to resort to drinking on the streets/beaches etc.(whilst complaining of being bored) and I’m sure that in reality it is the minority that act that way and it’s just perception that makes it seem like a bigger problem.
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I agree get your kids into an activity and make sure you know what they are upto. However the state schooling system needs an overhaul with smaller class numbers and more sport aswell.
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Does anyone know the age at which alcohol can be drunk legally,and I dont mean on licenced premises.
Some of you maybe surprised.
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Karen.Terry,Martino,
You’ve stated that you think the minority of teenagers are commiting offences on scooters so lets ban the majority of 14 and 15 year olds from riding sensibly then. I have to tell you also that on my travels I have witnessed scooter riding that would make your hair fall out,the standard of riding in Guernsey is poosetively good in comparison.
On a slightly different note I have had a motor bike since 1976 and can tell you that BY FAR the most likely way I’ll have an accident is by being knocked off my bike by a car/lorry/van driver.Also, and this IS controversial, I feel that it will be a female driver who knocks me off my bike.
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I think we should ban those over 50 to drive motor vehicles, or limit them to 50cc motorcycles. Limit kids, we should limit old farts too.
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@Donkeys Life it’s age 5.
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What amazes me is the fact that a majority of you all are hypocrites! When you were that age, you drank, in fact I bet most were drinking around there 15/16 birthdays… in town and pubs! But because back then it was “the thing that was done” it seems everyone has forgotten that it happened exactly the same as now….
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Well GG – fingers crossed that you’ll never be an ‘old fart’.
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Old farts driving around at 10 mph with nearside or offside
Indicators flashing are more of a menace
Than the scooter riders!!!
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Steve,
I have no truck with today’s elf ‘n safety nonsense (or PC nonsense for that matter). Boob tubes & miniskirts look fine on young & fit lady scooterists (but I do hope you aren’t ogling those 14 yr olds mate ;) ) but if they part company from their scooters at even 35mph, they are going to lose a reasonable bit of skin (and clothing).
My instructor always said, dress for the crash, not the ride. Do you fancy your social security deductions going towards paying for skin grafts etc for these muppets?
Ugh, inconsiderate van drivers and selfish old farts in cars – they rank alongside Volvo, BMW, Mercedes & “posh” SUV drivers in my book. (What, me stereotype? Nahhh)
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Cynic, you don’t get sarcasm then?
I was agreeing with your point.
All over road burns are not a good look.
I would not say ogling but when stopped at the lights oposite some young bit dressed like Jordan on the pull, you can’t really avoid getting an eyefull.
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14 is much too young to be on the road with any kind of motorised vehicle, on the mainland passing a test on a moped still warrants using L plates for approx 1 year, as part of the UK surely this should be introduced on the Island as the roads can be just as dangerous as anywhere else considering very few adhere to the speed limits. One last note, I have just passed my Advanced driving test, travel a lot and drive all over the world, am in my 50′s and certainly dont consider myself an old fart, its time GG grew up.
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Caroline – when did we become part of the UK?
And why haven’t we discussed it on here first!
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@ Steve – uhh, I usually do but it would appear that several processes were competing for runtime :s Yes – I do agree with you – sorry you had to re-post in a simple enough manner for me to “get”!
@ Caroline, surely as a member of the IAM you can understand GG’s point – even though driving standards are overall poor, people of the older age group (but not exclusively them) can be some of the most selfish and dangerous drivers?
As for the general point – it’s about time people (and especially kids) were taught about responsibilities instead of “rights” – perhaps then we’d see some improvement in our society.
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Kevin 25 july @ 8.50 p.m
Totally agree with you on all points.
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Cynic – definitely agree with your final point – with rights come responsibilities, and it is time a lot of islanders started to realise that, not just the youngsters.
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Having read further into the comments posted I strongly disagree we are tagerting the minority when it comes to 14 year olds holding a licence to drive a 50cc scooter. Yes some are complete menaces but on the whole if you look into a&e submissions the past ten years for 14 year old motorists, you will come to learn that – this is the highest group of accident prone motorists. At the age of 14 the brain is not fully developed particularly when engaging with other road users. Some older people of course very bad drivers but they have more experience on the roads on the whole compared to teenagers.
GG I think you are completely nuts to say ban drivers over 50! keyboard diarrhea comes to mind. The elderly can pose a threat to other road users through being over cautious and slow and I think it should be made compulsary for them to be retested at the average retirement age of 65.
Rising a driving licence for a car from 17 to 18 is an interesting call. I wouldn’t know how this would fit in though as 18 also co-incides with legally being able to drink.
I’m under the impression the public are for rising the age of motorcycles to 16. Business’ who sell motorcycles are going to disagree beacause they are protecting how they make a living. Tough, adapt and learn how to change your business. The final grandslam then – Our local politicans – Where do I start?
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Today, people are constantly bombarded with adverts proclaming, “your unique, your special, your worth it, you deserve, your entitled to, nobody ever had it as hard as you have it now, sue the b’stds, etc etc
No wonder society is heading down the toilet.
I saw a tv prog recently where business leaders were asked why there are so few young leaders of industry comming through.
Many commented that when talking to young people, their plan in life was to, marry a footballer, win BGT, win the lottery, be a model etc.
Were doomed I tell you.
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Why are the majority of these letters aiming at the ‘Elderley’, since when were you over the hill at 50, according to statistics life begins at 50 these days, 14 – 16 may be whiz kids on computers but lack knowledge and experience on the road, their reading ability is also non existent when it comes to reading road signs and speed restrictions, would be interesting to know the age of the writers of these letters. Signed an old codger over 50.
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There’s nothing new under the sun, including this current discussion. Young people drink under age, “experimenting”. Not clever but most people have tried it. Does this mean we shouldn’t do something about it? Of course not, Police and Drug & Alcohol Strategy are doing a good thing. But let’s get things into perspective also.
As for GG, I happen to know for a fact he is a young man who intends to act as a wind-up merchant “for the lols”!! Ignore him.
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